In a surprising turn of events, a temporary worker at the Maricopa County Elections Department has been arrested for theft, after an item went missing from the Ballot Tabulation Center. The incident was discovered during the daily inventory conducted by election workers on Friday morning, as confirmed by the elections department spokesperson, Jennifer Liewer.

The suspect, identified as Walter Ringfield, was caught on surveillance camera footage taking a red scrunchy wrist lanyard with a security fob and keys attached from a desk at around 5 p.m. on Thursday. The probable cause statement for Ringfield's arrest describes the sequence of events, noting that he took the lanyard and fob, then placed them in the pocket of his shorts.

Following the discovery of the theft, an immediate investigation was launched, and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was contacted. Detectives subsequently obtained a search warrant for Ringfield's Phoenix residence, where they found the security fob in a bedroom dresser and the wrist lanyard in his car, according to the arrest report. As a result, the stolen item has been recovered.

However, to ensure the integrity of the Maricopa County Elections, the elections department has taken additional measures. Election workers are currently reprogramming and re-conducting logic and accuracy testing on all equipment, a process estimated to cost over $19,000, as stated by a director at the facility. The secure operation of the facility has been significantly impeded until the reprogramming is complete, according to the probable cause statement report.

During the investigation, Ringfield admitted to taking the fob but claimed to have returned it after 20 minutes. The arrest report reveals that his reason for taking the fob was because he wanted to "clean up." Ringfield explained that he was trying to secure a permanent position at the elections department, thus, he thought it would help his chances.

In a subsequent update, it was clarified that Ringfield was not on probation for a previous felony as initially stated. Instead, he participated in a felony diversion program, avoiding prosecution, going to trial, or entering a plea.

This incident has raised concerns about security protocols at the Maricopa County Elections Department, urging authorities to review and tighten their procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. As the investigations progress, the County will be vigilant in ensuring transparency and maintaining the integrity of their electoral processes.